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We all dream of a good night’s sleep and what better way to achieve this than with a good mattress? The increasing emphasis on how sleep impacts our health has seen the mattress industry evolve significantly in the last decade with polyurethane (PU) foam standing out as the material capable of meeting the most critical consumers’ requirements. It has become the material of choice for millions of people, indeed, PU mattress production is currently worth almost 30-billion dollars annually.

But how do consumers assess what is a good mattress and what isn’t? A new survey conducted for Milliken by Fluent Research, a strategic public opinion and market research firm, polled more than 1500 people in the US, China and India, to explore consumers’ understanding of mattress technologies, what might help them in their purchasing journeys and the psychology of color among buyers.

Among the key findings of the survey: mattress shopping can be intimidating; a large percentage of consumers are likely to sleep on a hybrid or full foam mattress bed; comfort, breathability, low odor and anti-microbial protection are important features; and consumers are willing to pay more for color.

The importance of comfort and sleep

The survey found that consumers rate a good night’s sleep as having higher importance for their health and wellbeing than a healthy diet or physical exercise with more than half using technology to track their sleep. A majority say that comfort, support, and durability are very important or absolutely necessary features when considering a mattress, yet two-thirds of consumers find their options confusing and have trouble understanding the differences between types of mattresses.

As one focus group participant in the United States commented, “Mattress shopping is probably one of the toughest long-term decisions that we make without really any good experience, other than sleeping in a hotel and buying the hotel brand mattress, or having a friend recommend it.”

Of those surveyed, four in ten plan to purchase a new mattress within a year, most commonly a spring, hybrid or foam mattress. To make this choice, a majority of buyers rely on in-store visits to touch and feel mattresses but their construction and relation to many attributes is a ‘black box’.

“Although online purchasing is popular, it’s necessary to sit on mattresses to directly feel the product. I’m dissatisfied with the ordinary content and a lack of high-tech or special features. Displays in all stores are just similar,” said a focus group participant in China.  “They showed the material inside the mattress as if we were supposed to know what that means,” commented another in India.

Counting on Color

In order to better understand whether color is associated with particular mattress characteristics, survey participants were presented with a range of characteristics and mattress images.

The survey found that colored foam layers are more appealing than uncolored layers with consumers consistently selecting the uncolored option less often than would be selected by chance i.e., randomly selecting among options.

In all three countries, the highest preference was for Green-White-Blue and Green-Varied Intensities combinations of colors, with blue or green associated with important traits including comfort, durability, breathability and sustainability. Purple is most likely to be associated with luxury. A purple-green-blue, multi-color option was associated with several characteristics at a rate higher than chance, including high quality, multiple benefits, anti-microbial foam, the latest technology and comfort.

A market simulation, undertaken with the poll, revealed the same sentiment - that consumers prefer mattresses with coloured layers, and they are willing to pay more for them, particularly lower price points.

The Way Forward with Reactint

To help create the perfect color combination Milliken has launched its new, digital Reactint Color Studio – enabling customers to find a Reactint formulation for any Pantone number, with the color wheel, or for any shade in a photo. A new feature of the app is the ability to build an individual mattress with different layers, creating adjustable thickness and different shades for each.

One of the benefits of Reactint colorants is the primary colorants principle in which, from five primary colorants, you can produce polyurethane in any shade by simple blending in-line before the mixing head. Over the years, Milliken’s global labs have color matched thousands of shades with these 5 primary colorants.

Stay Ahead of the Trend

The mattress industry is evolving, driven by trends in globalization, comfort, sustainability, manufacturing, supply chain & e-commerce, and color. This latest survey shows that color can serve as a tool to educate consumers about the unique properties and benefits of different types of foam in a mattress, also ensuring that the value and quality behind each foam layer is understood from foam producers to brand owners.

And, while some color-feature associations are more consistent, such as green with environmentally friendly, consumers preferences for hues are somewhat idiosyncratic, giving manufacturers and retailers flexibility on the selection of colors matched to particular characteristics. Let Milliken help you to use the Power of Color to innovate and help your brand stand out from the rest.